Boycott Mariners Ownership

Mariner Vets — The Search for LOCAL OWNERSHIP – Day 387

Posted on May 9, 2012 by phatpat67

I think it’s safe to say the Chone Figgins and Kevin Millwood experiments have run their course as of today, May 8, 2012.

I’ve pulled for Figgins during the darkest of hours (hmmm…that sounds kind of gross, huh?) and simply put: the dude has lost it. There is too much young talent at third (Kyle Seager and Alex Liddi) and left field (Mike Carp and Casper Wells). These four guys to need to play and see pitches so they can continue to improve their hitting. Let’s face it, these four kids are on the upswing and Figgins is clearly at the end of his career, albeit much earlier than most expected.

The good news is that when M’s manager Eric Wedge told him a few days ago “Chone, you’re now our utility player/pinch hitter/pinch runner/towel boy”, Figgins took it like a professional and said, “Use me where you need me coach.”

So come July we’ll see if Figgins has provided any value to this young, dynamic team with lots of upside. There’s a good chance the M’s will eat the remainder of his contract to allow yet another younger player to develop and contribute.

As far as 38-year-old Kevin Millwood goes, well, he’s going, going and almost gone. Millwood is no Jamie Moyer. Tonight the struggling Tiger’s offense scored five runs on seven hits and three walks within the first two innings. Not good. Millwood lasted a total of five innings in tonight’s 6 – 4 loss to Detroit en route to his fourth loss against zero wins.

Millwood’s ERA is 5.88 and opponents are hitting .314. This is a huge spike compared to his career numbers of a 4.12 ERA and a .263 BAA (batting average against).

It’s time to release Millwood and bring up one of the Talented Trio: Danny Hultzen, James Paxton or Taijuan Walker

The good news regarding Mariner veterans is that Mechiro has adjusted nicely to hitting in the number three spot. As my friend Bill would say: SHOCKING!

Baseball savvy M’s fans have said for the past four years or more that Mechiro should hit lower in the order. It took the brass juevos of GM Jack Z. and Wedge to make it happen.

One of my biggest criticisms about Mechiro over the years is his selfishness as a lead-off hitter. He has always refused to look at enough pitches (which handicaps his teammates) and gladly exchanges an out (trying for a base hit) rather than earn a walk.

It’s obvious that the move down the batting line-up has helped the M’s offense and Mechiro’s numbers after just 32 games: a .297 average with 13 RBI’s, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR and 10 walks.

Mechiro’s 10 walks already equates to more than 25% of his total walks from 2011 (39)
His 13 RBI’s has him on pace for almost 68. [Mechiro knocked in 69 runs his rookie year ('01) and 68 twice ('05 and '07)]
With seven doubles thus far Mechiro has one-third of the 22 he hit in 2011, with the potential of 36 doubles which would be a seasonal career high

Of these seasoned players — Figgins, Millwood and Mechiro — it’s easy to surmise that only #51 will be on the roster come August.

“Rue the Day” – The Search for LOCAL OWNERSHIP – Day 358

Posted on April 9, 2012 by phatpat67

The following is a guest column by my friend and co-worker Neil Strohbusch. We have a lot in common. We are passionate about Seattle sports teams. We love college sports and live for Fantasy Football. He is a loyal and misguided Coug alum. I am a loyal and delusional Husky alum. We are both residents of West Seattle and agree it is God’s Country. With that said, please enjoy Neil’s perspective of the latest ripples caused by Mariners’ ownership.

‘Rue the Day’ ~ by Bad 2 Beers

The Mariners ownership reminds me of the time that Patrick Abdo touched my knee: everything about it was inappropriate, selfish and shortsighted. All Mr. Abdo had to do was sweet talk me a little bit instead of going straight for my knee much like the debacle of ‘The Letter’ from the M’s about the potential new Seattle Sonics’ stadium. The talking heads, who are the Mariners leadership, are clearly out of touch with how to create fan loyalty and build upon their brand.

From Day 1 the Seattle Sounders have been a perfect example of how to engrain yourself in the community, build a phenomenal product and listen to your fans. The Sounders’ organization learned a huge lesson well before their first game. The Sounders’ ownership team opened up a survey to the fans to pick the team name. The choices presented by ownership reflected a new brand identity that tied in with traditional European names. However, the overwhelming choice by the fans was the write-in vote of the ‘Seattle Sounders’ going back to the original NASL team.

Today’s Seattle Sounders routinely average 36,000 fans who are passionately cheering for the men in neon green and the team has had immediate success on the field. All of the new Major League Soccer franchises are using the Sounders as the playbook of “how to get it right.” Furthermore, the established MLS teams are working on refreshing their product/brand/identity in the mold of what the Sounders accomplished.

One would think that the smart people running the Mariners would look to their neighbors one block to the north and maybe learn a few lessons. Instead, they continue down the path of accepting mediocrity both on the field, and sadly, within the top offices of the organization.

Recently the Mariners’ Brass sent a letter to every news outlet about their potential new neighbors south of Safeco Field. If you are not familiar with this letter, Howard Lincoln expressed the M’s concerns about the impact to traffic and commerce that a third stadium would have on the SODO area.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/04/04/2094514/ms-say-sodo-arena-wont-work.html

Granted these are valid concerns and issues that need to be addressed. But the real issue is the manner in which the M’s shared their message by conveying that the potential Sonics’ ownership team would ‘Rue the Day’ a new stadium would be built in the Stadium District area. Furthermore, they should consider a new arena in Bellevue, Renton, Spokane, Yakima or White Center instead.

If Seattle gets the Sonics back, then it will likely be five to 10 years before a new stadium would be built. In that time, one would think that the new Sonics’ ownership, the city, the business community and the transportation experts would perform a comprehensive analysis of traffic impact and develop a solution to mitigate the issue.

The Mariners Brass could have easily communicated their concerns (again, which are valid) and then expressed their desire to help work toward solutions that would benefit all parties involved. Instead, the Mariners come across as jealous, teenage girls who are concerned that their crappy product is going to be upstaged by yet another team.

One last thing if you are keeping score at home regarding the M’s owernship. The Mariners’ majority owner, Hiroshi Yamauchi, actually lives in Japan. Mr. Yamauchi has never visited Safeco and has never seen the Mariners in person during his 20 years of ownership because he is afraid of flying.

However, his baseball team played two games in Tokyo, Japan on March 28 and 29 for the opening series of the 2012 MLB season. Mr. Yamauchi lives two hours away from where the M’s played and he did not attend either of the two games. He must have been at a Super Mario Brothers convention instead.

Sadly the M’s appear to be a second-rate product to its owner and that clearly comes across with the bush league antics of the people he has running his team.

Posted in Boycott Mariners Ownership | 1 Comment

M’s Spring Training 2012 – Seattle 1, NYY 0

Posted on March 31, 2012 by phatpat67

No, it’s not a Spring Training score you see in the title. After all, Seattle plays in the Cactus League and NYY plays in the Grapefruit League.

It is the early score if you’re keeping tabs on the Michael Pineda-for-Jesus Montero trade because Pineda went on the 15-day disabled list. News reports confirmed that today’s MRI exam revealed tendinitis in his right shoulder. That’s not good news for the young, right-handed power pitcher from the Dominican Republic.

Tendinitis is a common sports injury because it’s caused by repetitive motion of the tendon connected to bone and muscle: be it the shoulder, knee, elbow, hip etc.

However, if you despise the Yankees and want this trade deemed successful for Seattle, then it’s a relief (so far) that Pineda may not be a Cy Young winner this season with 20 wins and 200 strike outs.

Meanwhile, Montero took a couple of foul balls off the ol’ kisser early in Spring Training. He shook off the stars and tweety birds to post a .306 average in 36 ABs with 11 RBIs, 2 HRs, 3 doubles and 7 runs scored.

Montero went 1-for-7 (.143) in the two-game set vs the Oakland A’s in Japan. But so did fellow catcher Miguel Olivo. In fact, only two Mariner hitters are above .200 after the Opening Day Series split: Ichiro at .444 and Ackley at .222.

I have wished only the best for Pineda since the initial trade was announced back on January 13. Furthermore, I have a dozen different Pineda rookie cards and I have him on my fantasy baseball team.

I hope the Spankees do not rush Pineda back. Rather, allow him a smart and slow recovery so he has a strong year. However, I’m glad it’s them and not us. And here’s hoping Montero stays healthy and productive as our catcher and DH this year.

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M’s Spring Training 2012 – Groovin’ That Swing

Posted on March 24, 2012 by phatpat67

As with Spring Training, lottery tickets and first dates with slutty, hot chicks…optimism abounds.

And so I refuse to remove my rose-colored glasses when viewing the M’s Juggernaut Offense for 2012.

The numbers* from camp look promising for most of the guys returning from 2011 and a few fresh faces.

(*The stats below are just for the Cactus League games played through March 23.)

Catcher ~ Miguel Olivo, Jesus Montero: Enduring 162 games requires every team to carry at least two catchers. Olivo is the veteran at age 33; Montero is the future at age 22. Olivo is struggling at .167, and 4 RBIs in 30 ABs; Montero is soaring at .306 and 11 RBIs in 36 ABs. Olivo will get the majority of the starts behind the plate because he handles the pitchers well and Montero needs to improve on his defense. However, M’s manager Eric Wedge will get Montero’s bat in the game as the designated hitter for sure.

1st Base ~ Justin Smoak and Mike Carp: They will platoon at 1B but the majority of the time Ol’ Smokey will be anchored there while Carp patrols left field.

Smoak’s off-season dedication to strength and fitness has Wedge smiling. It’s reflected in his batting average at .393 in 28 ABs. While Smoak is still searching for his first home run this spring (believe me those will come in bunches this season) it’s very encouraging to see he has more walks than strike outs (7:5).

Carp is struggling like a salmon swimming upstream at .222 with 13 Ks and 2 BBs in 36 ABs. He’s striking out 36% of the time. Let’s hope he stops laying his eggs by the season opener.

2nd Base ~ Dustin Ackley: I haven’t been this excited about a #2 since my morning coffee. (He was the overall #2 pick in 2009.) If Ackley continues his consistent hitting and amazing defense then we’re looking at many happy years at 2nd base. In 36 ABs thus far, Ackley is hitting .306 with 6 RBIs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 1 HR and slugging % of .667.

3rd Base ~ Alex Liddi, Kyle Seager: The 23-year-old kid from San Mareno, Italy, has an excellent shot at being the primero Italian in MLB history to start on Opening Day. This spring Liddi is hitting .425 in 35 ABs and an eye-popping 1.214 OPS (on-base% + slugging %).

If GM Jack Zduriencik can find a power-hitting shortstop from Ljubljana, then Mike Popovich will be the happiest Italian-Slovenian west of Wenatchee. (Who says you can’t learn a little European geography from a baseball blog?)

Keep in mind that Seager (age 24) is not far behind. In 40 ABs, Seager is hitting .350 with 1.000 OPS. And both are solid with the glove at the hot corner.

Shortstop ~ Brendon Ryan, Munenori Kawasaki: If you want moxie and positive attitude, then you’ll love the polycephalic beast roaming between second and third base.

Ms Shortstops: Moxie & Can-do

Ryan is trying to avoid the injury bug again and only has 26 ABs. However, he’s hitting .308 and getting healthier. Kawaski is the new free agent from Japan known for his defense and can-do approach (utility infielder). The 30-year-old is hitting .387 and 10 RBI’s in just 31 ABs.

Left Field ~ Carlos Peguero, Mike Carp: Apparently Peguero (age 25) worked on shortening his swing during the off-season. The spring numbers show otherwise with 14 Ks and only two walks. However, when Peguero did connect he hit 4 HRs and batted in 10. And his defense is improving. So until Carp’s bat heats up it appears Peguero will begin the season in LF.

Center Field ~ Michael Saunders, Franklin Gutierrez: Saunders (age 25) is making the most of this second go-around of Guti-Injury-Itis. Saunders is hitting .324 with an .889 OPS, 7 RBIs and 4 doubles. Although he needs to reduce his strike outs (10 in 37 ABs). Saunders covers center field territory extremely well. When Guti returns in late April/early May from his pectoral injury, expect him to take a few weeks to find his swing and confidence.

Right Field ~ Me-chiro: The 38-year-old from Kasugai, Japan, seems invigorated. He’s hitting .400 in 30 ABs. But what is more impressive is this line: 4 walks, 2 Ks, 8 RBIs , 2 HRs and an amazing 1.124 OPS.

Designated Hitter ~ Jesus Montero, Carlos Peguero: Finally M’s fans can be excited about the DH since the retirement of Edgar Martinez. Both Montero and Peguero will play in the field and share in the DH spot.

Bench ~ Chone Figgins, Casper Wells: These two guys will bookend the M’s bench along with platoon players like Carp, Montero, Seager and Kawasaki. Wells (age 27) will find his 2011 hitting groove again though his spring number are rough (.167 average and .456 OPS). He is very capable in any outfield position. Figgins (age 34) says he’s happy playing any position and you know he’s thrilled batting lead-off. Hitting .214 in 28 ABs is a bit worrisome but he has 7 walks and his OPS is up to .729.

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M’s Spring Training 2012 – Pitching Rotation Causes Anxiety

Posted on March 22, 2012 by phatpat67

Take a seat, throw back a shot of sake’ and steady your bobbleheads because our 2012 Mariners begin the season in less than a week and I am more concerned about our starting rotation than our hitting.

My PR person, Wanda Sykes, will give my official statement.

: Phat Pat Spokeswoman

“That’s right, I said it and I’ll say it again: The Mariners’ starting rotation has the Abdo Leg Wiggle at full throttle.

Have you seen that boy’s legs wiggle at a Mariners’ game? It’s no wonder his nuts resemble pistachios.”

Uh…okay, thanks Wanda…I’ll take it from here.

Thank God for our 2010 Cy Young winner in Felix Hernandez. His numbers are very impressive for a young man who turns 26 on April 8. (Yup, two days after my…uh…45th birthday. Cash gifts only please.)

I give the M’s management nothing but love for bringing King Felix along perfectly by not over-loading him with innings and thus not burning out his arm. His MLB career began in 2005 at the tender age of 19 when he pitched 84 innings (77 Ks), had a 2.67 ERA and went 4 – 4.

[ At age 19, I was a sophomore at the UW in 1986. I whiffed 77 times asking girls out, my GPA was 2.67 and I thought about purchasing a 44 to end my misery. I keed, I keed. My GPA was 3.35.]

From 2006 – 2011 Felix averaged these amazing statistics when you consider his severe lack of run support:

217 innings, 13 wins, 3.35 ERA, 198 strike outs, 67 walks

Second in the rotation is Jason Vargas, age 29. I love the kid but he is the Jamie Moyer of real estate: location, location, location. Although, like Moyer, Vargas is a workhorse. Spanning 2010 and 2011 Vargas started 63 games and pitched almost 400 innings. His ERA did creep up to 4.25 last year. It would be great if Vargas can revert back to the 2010 3.78 ERA.

Hector Noesi, age 25, is number three in the rotation. He came over with Jesus Montero in the trade with the Spankees for Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. Noesi’s first MLB season was last year where NY used him mainly in the bullpen (28 games) and two spot starts for 56 innings. His 4.47 ERA was a wee bit high. We shall see what magic the pitching coach, Carl Willis, has on the young kid from the Dominican Republic.

Coming in fourth is Blake Beavan, age 23. He came over with Justin Smoak in the Cliff Lee trade of 2010. His 97 innings in 2011 showed serious promise. And Beavan’s 2012 spring training numbers are solid. In 15 innings he’s only surrendered two walks, a .214 batting average against and a 2.35 ERA.

And rounding out the rotation is 37-year-old Kevin Millwood. Millwood is a 14-year veteran pitcher with a career 4.10 ERA, 163 – 140 record and 2.5 : 1 strike outs-to-walks ratio (1,976 K’s). He had an ugly year in Baltimore in 2010 giving up 30 HRs proving he is no longer a power pitcher (see Vargas). If Millwood can recapture some of his Texas Rangers’ magic we might get lucky with 10 wins, 175 innings and 120 K’s.

I’ll try to remain optimistic and not pass judgement until the one-third mark of the season, but already I really miss Doug Fister and Michael Pineda.

Check back with me or Wanda in few days for my take on the new & improved version of the M’s offense.

Posted in 2012 Spring Training, Boycott Mariners Ownership | 3 Comments

M’s Spring Training 2012 — The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Posted on March 3, 2012 by phatpat67

We’ll start with The Ugly. And no, I’m not talking about Ann Coulter.

A C = The Anti Christ

Franklin Gutierrez. Talk about being snake bit: the poor guy got the news on March 1st that he has a partially torn pectoral muscle on his right side. He felt it after throwing the ball around on February 28. He cannot catch a break being that he’s out from four to six weeks. So to be safe, we’re talking May 1st that Guti is starting in center. Then God knows how long it will take for his bat to find its 2009 magic (.283 average, .764 OPS, 18 HRs and 70 RBIs). At least Guti wasn’t literally snake bit like this poor sap. Yup, that’s a python. No thanks.

The Bad, Part 1. Guti’s injury means Michael Saunders will try again for the second consecutive year to fill center field until Guti is healthy. Saunders showed us serious potential in 2010. But in 58 games in 2011 Saunders hit .149, a .424 OPS, 12 walks and 56 K’s. That was worse than Guti playing sick & injured last season. In 91 games Guti hit .224, a .534 OPS, 16 walks and 56 K’s.

The Bad, Part 2. Jesus Montero was hit in the jaw twice today by foul balls from the Oakland A’s. He had to leave the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Es muy mal. Let’s hope and pray he’s okay.

The Bad, Part 3. Manny Ramirez had two AB’s in today’s game as a DH against the M’s. He went 0-for-2. Manny? Really? Just go away.

The Good. The M’s started off the Cactus League season today with an 8 – 5 win over Oakland which included five Mariner home runs. With injuries mounting almost daily, we’ll take what we can get. Saunders and Montero each had two-run dingers. Outfielders Carlos Peguero and Johermyn Chavez and second baseman Luis Rodriguez had solo shots.

Posted in 2012 Spring Training, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Happy Leap Day M’s Fans

Posted on March 1, 2012 by phatpat67

I have just a few observations so far from what I’ve read about Spring Training 2012. (I’m writing this quickly as I only get to publish my blog on Leap Day once every…well you get the idea. And this host site is on Eastern Time so I only have seven minutes…)

I love that Manager Eric Wedge is The New Sheriff in town, moving Mechiro down to #3 in the batting order.

I’m still worried about Franklin Gutierrez. Now he has a pectoral issue after throwing the ball around. Zoinks!

I love that Wedge challenged Justin Smoak and Guti to come back stronger, healthier and with an attitude.

I’m a little worried about Brendon Ryan’s health because the clubhouse needs his moxie and positive attitude.

I seriously pray this is Mechiro’s LAST season in a Mariner uniform.

Please Santa, Baby Jesus and the Easter Bunny…let it be true.

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The Beginning of the End for Mechiro

Posted on February 22, 2012 by phatpat67

At 12:06pm today, February 21, 2012, Geoff Baker posted terrific news on his Mariners Blog for The Seattle Times:

Mariners manager Eric Wedge just confirmed moments ago that he is moving Ichiro to the No. 3 spot in the batting order to begin the regular season. Chone Figgins will get first crack at replacing Ichiro atop the order.

Wedge also said Dustin Ackley is the leading contender to hit second, but others will get a look in that spot as well.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/marinersblog/2017560321_mariners_confirm_ichiro_to_no.html

What?!? Mr. Untouchable is now agreeing to move to the third spot in the batting order…after 11 seasons?

God Bless Jack Zduriencik and Eric Wedge and their massive nut sacs. You know Lincoln and Armstrong (A+ idiot jackasses) have their sphincters pinched tighter than most altar boys’.

We’ve only been waiting about four years for Mechiro to drop from lead-off to anywhere else in the line-up.

“FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!” was the subject in the email today at 12:30 from my friend Bill Conquergood, which contained the weblink above. Almost as if it was sent from heaven above.

I believe Bill summed it up perfectly for all of us die-hard fans who want a serious winning team. We want a HR and RBI machine in right field like we had in Jay Buhner. We don’t want a selfish, slap-happy-infield-hit monger who is more concerned about 200 hits and a .300 average each season.

Sure it was interesting the first four or five seasons. And yes, 200+ hits and a solid .300 average is impressive year after year. But the decreased walks and stolen bases the last few seasons really tells the story about Mechiro.

I’m going out on a limb about Mechiro this season like I did about Jake Locker. Midway through Jake’s junior year the majority of Husky fans said: ”No way Jake is staying for his senior year. He’s going pro. He’s not going to pass up all of that money.”

I said there were three reasons Jake would stay in addition to his solid demeanor:
a) His goal for a .500 or better season
b) His desire to play & win in a bowl game
c) His connection and loyalty to Coach Sarkisian

My guess is Mechiro is a cancer to the club and Jack Z. and Eric Wedge know this. They are simply biding their time until some desperate team comes calling this July thinking Mechiro is the final piece to their play-off run. (Mechiro’s 11-year tenure with one MLB club gives him veto power on any trade.)

I think he’ll have a similar season to last year with hits and average. Unless they get a stunning offer, Z. & Wedge will keep Mechiro for his farewell season in the second half of the season. They saw what happened to Griffey when they tried to squeeze the last bit of magic from his bat. I doubt they will do the same with Mechiro if the team is headed for a fourth consecutive season of being 30th in run production.

Here’s hoping the Mariner Brass will do the right thing: Have a weekend-long celebration September 21 – 23 for all the fans to come by Safeco for some over-priced sushi, a little stretching, some bat extension Voodoo, one last slap-happy infield hit and a nostalgic Sayonara.

And that is when I will truly weep that the nightmare is over and the team winning concept can begin.

Posted in Mechiro: 2001 to Present | 3 Comments

January 15, 2012 – The Search for LOCAL OWNERSHIP – Day 273

Posted on January 16, 2012 by phatpat67

Since the news broke on Friday, January 13th, (ooooh spooky) I’ve had the entire weekend to mull over the trade of Michael Pineda to the evil NY Yankees for Jesus Montero.

My initial reaction was negative. The M’s already gave up a talented pitcher in Doug Fister (to Detroit on July 31) and now they traded away their young, powerful, stud pitcher King Felix II? So in less than six months 40% of the 2011 starting pitching (the M’s strength) was gone.

Pineda was the American League Rookie of the Month for April 2011 and he made the 2011 All-Star Team where he struck out two in a perfect inning of work. He led AL rookies in strikeouts with 173 in 171 innings and walked just 55. That made Pineda second in the AL among all pitchers with a 9.11 ratio of strikeouts per nine innings. He finished ahead of Justin Verlander (8.96) and behind someone named Brandon Morrow at 10.19.

(The M’s traded Morrow for pitcher Brandon League who turned into a terrific closer in lieu of David Aardsma being injured.)

Pineda tied for third among all AL pitchers with an opponent’s batting average of .211 and he also managed 19 quality starts.

In right-hand hitting Jesus Montero the M’s hope they have the catcher of the future. He’s a bubba like Pineda with a solid frame at 6’3″ and 225 lbs. During a late call-up with NY last year Montero hit .328 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 61 at-bats.

This addresses a huge hole in the Mariner line-up. The M’s have churned through more catchers in the past few years than A-Rod on a road trip to the Bay Area.

Adam Moore was supposed to be “the catcher” last year but had a meniscus tear to his right knee the first week and missed the entire season. Thank God Miguel Olivo was on the roster. Olivo’s hitting was sporadic at best but his enthusiasm and handling of pitchers were saving graces. The sad part is Olivo led the team in HR (19) and RBIs (62).

Rob Johnson was a great signal caller (replacing Johjima in May 2009) but he never recovered from three surgeries in the 2009 off-season (both hips and the left wrist). In 61 games in 2010 Johnson hit .191 and was demoted to Tacoma that August. In the 2010 off-season Johnson was claimed by the San Diego Padres.

Jeff Clement (USC) was the 3rd pick in the 2005 draft and the M’s thought they had a keeper. Eventually Clement was traded to Pittsburgh in July 2009 as part of a seven-player trade where the M’s received (among others) the amazing hitting machine in Jack Wilson (sarcasm intended).

I wish Pineda the best. He has a bright future ahead of him with some of the best run-support money can buy. And that can translate into a few 20-win seasons and playoff appearances.

If I can trust MLB.com, then I guess I’m optimistic with our new catcher from the Spankees. Prior to the 2011 season MLB.com’s Top 50 Prospects List had Pineda ranked 13th and Dustin Ackley was fifth. Montero was ranked ninth.

If Jesus helped Tebow and the Broncos win, then maybe Jesus (Montero) can help the Mariners in 2012.

Posted in M's 2012: Productive Hitters Wanted | 2 Comments

January 8, 2012 – The Search for LOCAL OWNERSHIP – Day 266

Posted on January 9, 2012 by phatpat67

With 2012 upon us we have renewed hope for new, local ownership. Alas, it will not be Chris Larson (30% owner of the M’s) buying out majority owner Hiroshi Yamauchi. Mr. Larson is in the midst of a divorce. That will cut his resources by half and the current recession negatively impacted his investments.

So what’s a loyal M’s fan to do? For the time being, let’s focus on what management has done to address the hitting woes of 2011.

According to the official Seattle Mariners homepage we’re supposed to get excited about a new addition from the Far East: right-handed, control pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma from Japan.

Woooooooo-who! Sweet! Another pitcher who can…wait. A pitcher? I thought we needed hitting? Hitting for average? Hitting for power?

Well, since Doug Fister went to Detroit last July and became an instant ace (behind MVP and Cy Young winner Justin Verlander), M’s GM Jack Zduriencik needed to fill that gap in the rotation. The good news is Zduriencik was smart enough to sign Iwakuma to a one-year deal at $1.5 million. I’ll delve into Iwakuma in a future post. I’m currently worn out by Japanese imports and I’m anxious for hitting.

Fister had huge success in August & September of 2012 (8 – 1, 1.79 ERA) because he inherited excellent run support by the Tigers. Detroit hit .277 (3rd in MLB) and produced 750 RBIs (4th) in 2012. Seattle? How about dead last (3oth) in hitting .233 and generating 534 RBI’s.

On December 30 Zduriencik signed 34-year-old, relief pitcher George Sherrill. You remember Sherrill, right? He’s the solid, left-handed pitcher who Bill Bavasi (M’s GM 2003 – 2008) packaged with young stud Adam Jones to Baltimore for the injury-riddled, sure-to-be-a-bust Erik Bedard.

According to M’s press release: “In his career, Sherrill has limited left-handed hitters to a .180 batting average against (99×550) while walking 43 and striking out 208.”

Uh, again…this does not address our hitting issue. But Jackie Z. must being going down his grocery list diligently, saving the best for last. Sushi plate sampler. Check. Beer. Check. Okay, time for the meat and potatoes: a couple of RBI-producing power hitters. Or maybe just one RBI-producing power hitter who looks like he swallowed another one. Sorry Prince Fielder, I couldn’t resist.

Posted in M's 2012: Productive Hitters Wanted, Uncategorized | Leave a comment